Pliers



Dec. l13, 1927.

w. H. WALLACE.

PLIERS Filed Jan. 28. 1925 llllllllliililill r IIIIIIIIUHIIII m Illimfun-Igan@ Patented Dec. 13, 1927.

' WILLIAM H. WALLACE,-.O.F CLEVELAND, OHIO.

f runas.

.^.pp1icanon fue@ January 2s, 1925. serial No. 5,229.

This invention relates to pliers that are especially adapted to be used as a wrench, although the pliers are also adapted for use j otherwise.

t is one of the objects of the invention to provide a pair of pliers having aws that are Aparallel in all of their settings. It is a further object of the invention to provide a tool lof the type referred to, that will comprise the minimum number of parts and in which these parts are of such simple designthat they may be manufactured at a very low cost.

It is a further-object of the invention to provide pliers,r of the type referred to, that will be readily adjustable and in which the gripping force of the jaws will not be dependent on the pressure with which the operator grips the handles.

Other objects and the features of novelty will be apparent from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, of which:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a pair o pliers embodying my invention; l

Fig. 2 is an` elevation of the same as seen from the right of Fig. 1; and

Fig.A 3 is a view similar to Fig. 1 but showing a different adjustment of the parts.`

Referringto the drawing 10 indicates a member having a handle portion 11 and a jaw 12. A jaw 13 cooperates with jaw 12 and the article-engaging faces 14 and 15, respectively, of these jaws, are parallel so that the jaws are adapted to gripping a nut 16 or other article having parallel faces. The member 10 has a smooth and continuous cam surface 17 substantially in the form of an arc of a circle, and the jaw 13 has its edge 18 in engagement with the cam surface 17. As will be seen from Fig. 2, the jaw 13, is in the same plane as the member 10, and is provided with lugs 19, which engage with the opposite faces of the member 10 and hold the, jaw 13 against displacement laterally.

A handle member 20 is pivoted at 21, to the member 10, and to the jaw 13, at 22, the latter pivot being adjacent to the cam surface 17 whereas the pivot 21 is relatively remote therefrom.

The jaw 13 may be moved toward or from the jaw 12 by means of the handle member 2() and the cam surface 17 is so shaped and positioned that the faces 14 and 15 remain parallel throughout the range of movement the jaw 13; There is a heel 23 on the jaw 13 which cooperates with the` cam surface 17 toprevent the 'jaw from swinging on the pivot 22,v toward the jaw 12.

- Vhen the pliers are used to turn the nut 16`, in the direction of the arrow in Fig. 1,l the outer end of the jaw 13 will engage with the corner 24 ofthe nut and, as the handle 11 is moved 'toward the right in Figure 1, the reaction between the nut and the jaw 13 will tend to turn the latter in the clockwise direction but the engagement of the surface 18 with the cam surface 17, will prevent the jaw 13 from so turning and will put that portion ofthe handle'20, that is between the pivots 21 and 22, in tension. It will, therefore, be seen that the gripaction of the jaws on the, nut is not dependant upon the pressure exerted by the operator onrthe'handles 11 and 2O and that the reaction between the nut andthe jaws will not separate the latter even though the operator' leaves thevv handle 20 entirely free and .,uses'only' the handle 11.

To turnv the nut 16 inthe direction opposite to the arrow, in Fig. 1, it is only necessary to turn the pliers over so that the positions of the jaws v12 yand 13 are reversed from that shown in Fig. 1.

In Fig. 3 the jaws 12 and 13 are shown in engagement with a nut 25, of smaller size than the nut 16,'but the faces 14 and 15, of the jaws, are still parallel. It will be apparent from the drawings that the jaws 12 and 13 are adapted to grip any article having any width between the minimum opening between the jaws and the maximum and that the jaw 13 may be readily adjusted to grip an article, by means of the handle 20. The pliers consist, essentially, of three elements that may be readily formed by forging or stamping dies and assembled by means ofthe rivets or boltswhich constitute the pivots 21 .and 22. `This simplicity in design insures a very low cost of production that will enable thepliers to be sold at a popular price. Having thus yI claim is: I Y

1. In a device of the class described, the combination of a handle having an articledescribed my invention, what engaging jaw and a cam surface, a jaw slidable on said cam surface and having an article-engaging face that cooperates with said article-engaging face of the rst-mentioned jaw, and a member pivoted to the secondmentioned jaw adjacent said cam surface and to the said handle at a point remote from said surface said cam surface beinfr so n u u D positioned that the article-engaging faces of said jaws remain parallel throughout the.v

combination of a handle having an articleengaging jaw and a smooth cam surface of continuous curvature, a jaw slidable on said cam surface and having an article-engaging face parallel with the article-engaging face of the first-mentioned jaw, and a member pivoted to the second-mentioned jaw adjacent 'said cam surface and to said handle at a point remotefrom said surface and having a handle whereby the second-mentioned jaw may be positioned along said surface, said cam surface being so shaped and positioned that the articlefengaging faces of said jaws remain parallel throughout the range of movement of the lsecond-mentionsd jaw on the cam surface and said jaws are adapted to operatively grip an article in all of their relative` positions, `and the pivotal connection between the second-mentioned jaw and said member being positioned to that side of the article-engaging face of the secondmentioned jaw that is toward the first-mentioned jaw.

3. In a .device of the class described, the combination of a handle having an articleengagingjaw and a smooth cam surface of continuous curvature, a jaw slidable on said cam surface and having an article-engaging face parallel with the article-engaging face of the first-mentioned jaw and lugs engaging opposite sides of said handle to maintain the second-mentioned jaw in position, later` ally, on said cam surface, and a member pivoted to the second-mentioned Vjaw adjacent said cam surface and to said handle at a point remote from said surface and having a handle whereby the second-mentioned jaw may be positioned along said surface, said cam surface being so shaped and positioned that the article-engaging faces of said jaws remain parallel throughout the range of movement of the second-mentioned jaw on the cam surface and said jaws are adapted to operatively grip an article in all of their relative positions. and the pivotal connection between the second-mentioned jaw and said member being positioned to that side of the article-engaging face of the second-mentioned jaw that is toward the first-mentioned Y jaw.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

1WILLIAM H. WALLACE. 

